Improvement in cultivator and corn-planter



W. SWARTOUT & G W. HARTLEY. Cultivator and Corn Planter;

No. 211.871. Patented Feb. 4,1879.

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N. PETERS. PIOTO UTMOGRAFHER, wAsHmGToN, DV 6.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE WILLIAM H. SWARTOUT AND GEORGE W. HARTLEY,OF SALINEVILLE, OHIO.

iMPROVEMENT IN CULTIVATOR AND CORNs-PLANTER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 211,871, dated February4, 1879 application filed November 11, 1878.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. SwARrour andGEORGE W. HARTLEY, of Salineville, in the county of Oolumbiana and Stateof Ohio, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements inCultivator and'Corn-Planter,

crank wheel may be at all times held firm to the ground and toits work,and not berendered ineffective by the vibrations or rocking movement,lateral or longitudinal, of the planter.

It consists in a spring-bearin g capable of a vertical and a lateraladjustment, in which the crank-wheelis supported, and in other devices,all of which will be hereinafter explained.

In the drawings, Figure l is an under-side view, and Fig. 2 alongitudinal vertical section, of a planter and cultivator constructedaccording to our invention.

a is the planter-frame, supported on the axle a and wheels a 1) b arethe grain-boxes, provided with the slides or dropping-bars b b arrangedto operate longitudinally or parallel to the line of motion of theplanter. Arranged immediately in front of the grain-boxes b are thefurrow-openers c c, and immediately in rear and to one side of the boxesI) are placed the coverers d d. By this arrangement the furrow will beopened by the openers c, and the grain dropped from the openings b b inthe boxes b will be covered by the shovels or coverers d.

e is the crank or driving wheel, the rim 6 of which rests on the ground,and is provided with suitable projections 0 which hold it in place andprevent its slipping, and it is supported on the axle e the outer endsof which are bent into the cranks e, to which are attached thepitman-rods 0 which connect with and give motion to the slide-bars b b.The wheel 6 is also provided with a side projection, c arranged toactuate a spring-hammer, f, which strikes the bell f and indicates thedropping of the grain.

The axle e is supported in bearings on the rear ends of spring orelastic arms 9 g, arranged on opposite sides of the wheel c, the forwardends of which arms are attached to the projecting ends of the bars a aof the frame a. For strength and convenience the forward ends of thesesprings g g are united together by the cross-bar 9 making astirrupshaped device, as shown in Fig. 1. These elastic arms g permit ofany necessary degree of vertical movement of the wheel 0, to adapt thelatter to inequalities or obstructions in the ground without interferingwith the regular workin g of the slide-bars b and they also permit ofthe elevation or depression of one bear; ing above or below the other,thus preserving the wheel in its normal position when the planter-frameis subjected to alateral rocking movement by reason of one or the otherof the wheels a passing over obstructions. It will be seen that thewheel 6 is thus held firmly with its rim flat on the ground at alltimes, no difference what may be the inequalities in the surface of theground.

it is a track-cleaner and steadying-arm, arranged immediately in frontof the wheel 6. It is provided with a point or shovel, h, and is affixedto the frame a with capability of adj ustment, so that it can be set toopen a slight furrow for the rim of the wheel e, or'so that it will onlyremove trash and clods from the surface of the ground. It also serves tohold the forward end of the frame a steadily in the line of motion, thusrelieving the wheel 0 from all strain.

43 is an adjustable caster-wheel, held in place on the frame a in abearing, '5 arranged immediately in rear of the wheel 0. Its shank orarm 6 is provided with a series of holes, 45, so that it may besupported higher or lower on the operating-lever k, which is fulcrumedto the frame a at 7c, as shown. The lever is is provided with a suitablepawl or lip, which engages in a ratchet in the bar I.

When desired the wheel 0 may be lifted clear of the ground by depressingthe lever 70, thereby forcing the caster-wheel down so that it willsupport the forward end of the frame a.

The wheel 13 is often necessary to steady the movements of the planter.By forcing it down so that it will press on the ground, (but not withsufficient force to lift the wheel 0,) or by letting it rest loosely inits bearings i, so that it falls or rises with the fall or rise of theforward end of the planter, it will prevent any lateral unsteadymovements of the frame, which would otherwise interfere with theregularity of the dropping of the grain.

m is a rod attached to one of the cranks e, and carried back near to theseat a. The object of this rod is to give facilities for continuing theoperation of dropping when from any cause it is desired to lift thewheel 0 clear of the ground. The operator can turn the whee e by the aidof the rod m. K

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the frame a andth'e Wheel 0, supported inspring-bearings g g, with capability of a vertical and lateral rockingmovement, of the track-cleaner and steadying-arm h, having the point orshovel h, and secured to the frame a, with capability of adjustmentimmediately in front of the wheel 0, and the caster-wheel 1', having thearm 6 held loosely in a bearing, 1: immediately in rear of the wheel 6,all arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we affix oursignatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. SWARTOUT. GEORGE WV. HARTLEY. Witnesses:

JAMES G. MOORE, W. W. PUMPHREY.

